The Mausoleum of José Gómez Ortega "Joselito" El Gallo.Monument by the famous sculptor Mariano Benlliure in 1926.

History

The artist Luccia Lignan is inherits a complete artistic and cultural legacy, deriving from the best of England, France and Spain.

From an early age she immersed herself in painting, (--- where she has always taken a certain freedom both in choice of themes and in colours ---), along with theater, (--- such was her interest in discovering this world, that during her adolescence, she enrolled in a theater group to be able to attend free of charge the performances of the "Gran Teatro" of Córdoba; her first role was playing "Helena" in "a Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare" and the first performance that she was able to see was "Three top hats" by Miguel Mihura ---) and flamenco dancing, (--- after a brief stint in classic ballet, which she admired so very much, she started dancing sevillanas and tanguillos of Cádiz at the age of five, ending her apprenticeship dancing fandangos, rumbas, peteneras and other regional dances, and along with her participation in festivals until her enrollment in University of Fine Arts in Seville ---) not knowing the reason for such interests, and the thing is she interest, despite coming from a complete array of multidisciplinary artists, theater actors, composers, musicians. Not much earlier she discovered her link to Spanish bullfighting and flamenco dancing.

Luccia Lignan bears the name and surname of her grandmother, her father was a French musician, the son of a French composer and an English mother whom she called "Big Mum", they were all musicians and theater actors; her mother Francisca Parra Gómez, she was Spanish and had strong ties to Spanish bullfighting and flamenco dancing. After losing her parents, she lived in several places towards the end of the Second World War and the Spanish Civil War. She settled in Córdoba, Spain, and only returned to Seville to accompany her granddaughter Luccia Lignan during her studies at the Univertsity of Fine Arts. In 2000, Luccia Lignan married the artist Angel Rengell. Luccia Lignan always loved her as a mother; she was responsible for her education and care and taught her to read and write when Luccia was only three years old.

For this reason she painted several portraits of her grandmother during her artistic and academic training.

Her great grandmother Francisca Parra Gómez, mother of her grandmother, born in Passage González of Quijano, Seville (Pasaje de González de Quijano). Francisca Parra Gómez received the first prize in sevillanas dance at The Duke Theather of Seville (El Teatro Duque de Sevilla), she was first cousin of the famous bullfighters José Gómez Ortega, known as Joselito El Gallo, and Rafael Gómez Ortega, and sister of Antonio Parra Gómez "Parrita", veteran banderillero, Joselito's cousin who accompanies him as a faithful administrator until the day of his death. Her mother, Julia Gómez García, was sister of Fernando Gómez García, bullfighter and father of Joselito and Rafael.

Julia Gómez García was a flamenco dancer and close friend of Gabriela Ortega Feria also flamenco dancer and years later mother of José Gómez OrtegaJoselito El Gallo and Rafael. It was Julia who introduced Gabriela to Julia's brother Fernando and despite opposition because Gabriela was from a Gypsy Family, Gabriela and Fernando eventually married and had a large family.

Despite not knowing any of this, Luccia Lignan, during her childhood, created several paintings of bullfighting scenes without ever having stepped foot in a bullring; indeed, she painted a bullfighting scene in her application to the University of Fine Arts in Seville, perhaps this is why José Gómez Ortega was called "The King of the Bullfighters", being able to extend his art and passion unto Luccia's brushes.

Son, brother and grandson of bullfighters, the famous Bullfighting Dynasty "Los Gallo", called Gallito and later Joselito El Gallo, he was considered in his time a child prodigy of bullfighting, contributing to the building of "The Monumental" of Seville 1918 (Plaza de Toros "La Monumental" de Sevilla) and HM Queen Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg visited "The Monumental" of Seville regularly despite not liking the National Bullfighting.

HM Queen Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg (Victoria Eugenie Julia Ena) was Queen Consort of Spain as the wife of King of Spain Alfonso XIII of Bourbon. She was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and the first cousin of King George V of the United Kingdom, Queen Maud of Norway, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, Queen Marie of Romania, Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany, Queen Louise of Sweden, and Queen Sophia of Greece. Juan Carlos I of Spain is her grandson.

On 16 May 1920, Joselito was fatally gored in the ring at the age of 25 during a competitive bullfight. The famous sculptor of this time, Mariano Benlliure, composed the Mausoleum of Joselito in 1926, and it was presented to the public at the Palace of Fine Arts, being established permanently at the Cemetery San Fernando of Seville.

Luccia Lignan has much to learn about her roots. The life of this artist is as exciting and intriguing as those of her ancestors.

Contact & Commissions

Inquiries about private or corporate commissions for artwork can be made through the Artist e-mail contact.

The Artist is available for commissions for various types of work - drawing, painting, sculpture -, including large and small scale sculptures, portrait sculptures, portrait paintings, murals and abstract art.

Price and schedule for each commission to be negotiated according to the demands of the specific work requested.